Hotel Lulu questions

[lalasmama]

I'm looking at staying at Hotel Lulu in September.

(1)I know it's right next to the Toy Story parking lot. Is there a shortcut from the back of the hotel or will I need to go down Katella from that entrance?

(2) Any recent (like 2022) reviews? Most of the reviews I'm seeing are from last summer. I'm hoping for something more recent.

I'm not looking for recommendations for other places to stay. I've stayed at multiple Harbor places, and usually stay at Stovall's. A friend is curious about this property and I told her I'd look into staying there before she makes her ressie.

Thanks!

 

[helenk]

I stayed there last September and I really liked it. It was clean, the staff was friendly, and I had no complaints. I cannot help with the parking lot because I used the ART bus. Most days I would walk to the parks in the morning, and stop for breakfast before going to the parks, but I walked down Harbor Blvd. At the end of the day, I would take the bus back, the bus stop was right in front of the hotel which was great. I am a senior citizen so for me, the 5-day pass was only $8.50. I was going to stay there again this September but I was able to book the Tropicana which is a lot closer to the parks .

 

[Astylla]

I stayed maybe a month after the rebranded and remodeled and then several times since.
Staff has always been welcoming and helpful.

I love love love this hotel and it still flies under the radar some. Beds are extremely comfortable to me , soft but some firmness.
Bathroom is spacious and well lit and no issues. I love the room layout and touches , it really feels like a newer property versus some. Walls aren't extremely thin but have heard some noise in hallways. Even having a room right off the elevators I didn't hear the noise.

Parking I think is about $25 but don't quote me which is about on par for most hotels and motels.
I haven't used the pool area but is decent and spacious.

It is EASILY walkable to Toy Story or to the parks , enter through the entrance on harbor to Toy Story as pedestrian or driving.

 

[queenofheartsfan]

We stayed in May, 2022. Loved the Lulu! Easy walk to the parks. Rooms are comfortable and well maintained. Going again in October 2023 and will be at the Lulu again.

 

[DodgerGirl]

I believe the Hotel Lulu has become The Viv Hotel and Marriott owns it now but from the Yelp reviews i've read on it The Viv Hotel is really nice and they upgraded it to be more nicer since it was first a Red Lion Hotel then Hotel Lulu and now The Viv Hotel. I don't know why it's called The Viv Hotel but when I first heard the name it brought to mind the Marvel character Viv who is Vision's daughter but as I said it's a really nice place and you should check it out
Hope this advice helps you Lalasmama
Dodger

 

[pirate33]

This is not correct. The Viv is a different property on South Anaheim Boulevard on the other side of I-5. It is a newer property, and nice, but the location is not great. I’ve decided that taking Ubers back and forth to Disney kind of kills the magic for me. Walking is different. Also the location right next to the freeway is problematic for the pool area. Lots of traffic noise there.

I don’t know the history of Lulu but I did walk by it on the way to pick up a rental car. It caught my attention because it looked nice and recently updated from the outside.

Can one actually walk in to the Toy Story busses? They had big signs saying no pedestrians, and there is no sidewalk, just toll booths for entering cars.

 

[crystal1313]

You can enter Toy Story lot as a pedestrian to ride the shuttles through both entrances on Harbor and on Katella. Here’s a screen shot of the sidewalk.

Hotel Lulu used to be Red Lion. The Viv used to be Radisson Blu. They are different properties.

 

[ottawamom]

I stayed at Hotel Lulu the beginning of May. Like others have said, beds were comfortable, room was spacious. We didn't have any issues with water temperature or water pressure. We were in a room on the top floor of the south buidling. Didn't use the pool. Easy walk to the parks (10-15 minutes). Yes you do have to walk a bit to get to the Toy Story lot no easy way through the fence. Staff was friendly and efficient.

I would stay here again. Check out reviews on TripAdvisor for some more up to date reviews of the property.

 

[bcla]

I believe the Hotel Lulu has become The Viv Hotel and Marriott owns it now but from the Yelp reviews i've read on it The Viv Hotel is really nice and they upgraded it to be more nicer since it was first a Red Lion Hotel then Hotel Lulu and now The Viv Hotel. I don't know why it's called The Viv Hotel but when I first heard the name it brought to mind the Marvel character Viv who is Vision's daughter but as I said it's a really nice place and you should check it out
Hope this advice helps you Lalasmama
Dodger

No. I've stayed at Hotel Lulu and The Viv is on the other side of I-5. Hotel Lulu is still there. It's a little bit odd in that they have a separate website, but any attempt to book via their separate website just goes to Best Western.

https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotel-rooms.05764.html
https://hotellulu.com

I did book it through an opaque booking on Hotwire, where an actual room photo admittedly made it easy to figure out which of the three hotels listed it was, along with the rotating options it gave where one was always there. And a bit of warning if anyone books it through Hotwire or another opaque booking - they don't charge a resort fee. My booking said I'd be charged an $18 fee due at check in but when I checked in I was told they never charge one.

We had a good time there. The room was clean and looked recently renovated (with the name change of course). The elevator felt a bit old, but it worked. Lulu's Kitchen was a bit odd though. We got there for happy hour and the only employee on duty was a bartender. Somehow I guessed his age and got a free alcoholic beverage and ordered a happy hour cheeseburger. But the bartender had to go to the kitchen to prepare it from some sort of kit. Apparently they no longer have happy hour though.

We got there via ART from Disneyland but it was odd trying to figure out which bus. I'll just say that once we might have been given a break on where we were let off.

 

[pirate33]

You can enter Toy Story lot as a pedestrian to ride the shuttles through both entrances on Harbor and on Katella. Here’s a screen shot of the sidewalk.

Good to know! My memory of the lack of sidewalk was off.

 

[crystal1313]

Good to know! My memory of the lack of sidewalk was off.

Yeah! It’s so nice to be able to take advantage of the Toy Story shuttles if you stay nearby. We stayed at Cambria in nov and used the shuttles quite a bit. We aware staying at the worldmark soon and plan on using the shuttles again if need be.

 

[deejdigsdis]

North Tower vs South Tower...is there a better option between the two?